Arthroscopic Treatment of Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Knee

Abstract

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), also known as giant cell tumor in the joint, is a special synovial disease that is mostly diffuse and sometimes localized, much like a tumor [1]. The etiology of pigmented villonodular synovitis is unknown, but monoclonal evidence suggests that it is a tumor-derived disease. It can occur in young or old patients and the symptoms are caused by massed in the joint. The knee joint is the most likely joint to be involved, as well as the shoulder, elbow, hip, and ankle. The manifestation of poly articular involvement has also been reported in some cases. Typical symptoms are joint pain, swelling, and repeated effusion, with not necessarily a history of trauma, due to synovial bleeding and inflammation within the joint. It often presents as a knee locking, sometimes misdiagnosed as a popliteal cyst. Pigmented villonodular synovitis can cause bone erosion, the formation of bone cysts or collapse.